NDA vs CDS vs AFCAT: Which Entry Is Right for You?

NDA, CDS and AFCAT are the three most popular routes to becoming a commissioned officer in the Indian Armed Forces, and many families treat them as rivals. They are better seen as three doors at different stages of life. The National Defence Academy (NDA) is for students who have finished Class 12. The Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination and the Air Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) are for graduates. Your qualification today usually decides the choice for you.

This guide compares the three on the points that matter: who can apply, age, exam, selection, training and the type of commission. The facts come from the UPSC notices for NDA and CDS (both examination (II) 2026) and the Indian Air Force’s AFCAT pages. Links are in the “Sources” section.

The quick comparison

NDA in brief

The NDA recruits at the earliest stage. You apply while in Class 12 or after passing it, take a UPSC written exam and then the SSB. If selected, you spend three years at the National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla, with the first two and a half years common to all three wings. You earn a degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University and then move to the Indian Military Academy, Indian Naval Academy or Air Force Academy for further training. The government pays for the training, and the notice lists a monthly cadet stipend of ₹56,100 at the service academies.

For the details, read how to join the NDA after 10th and 12th and our NDA eligibility criteria.

CDS in brief

The CDS examination is for graduates who want to enter through the Indian Military Academy, the Indian Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy or the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. In the CDS (II) 2026 notice the approximate vacancies were 100 for the IMA, 26 for the Indian Naval Academy, 32 for the Air Force Academy, 275 for the OTA (men) and 18 for the OTA (women), 451 in all.

The written papers are objective. The notice says Elementary Mathematics is set at Matriculation level, while the English and General Knowledge papers are around the standard of an Indian university graduate. For IMA, INA and AFA you take all three papers, and for the OTA you take English and General Knowledge. After the written test, you face the SSB.

At the IMA, training lasts about 18 months and ends with a permanent commission as Lieutenant. At the OTA, training takes about 49 weeks, followed by a Short Service Commission of 10 years, extendable by four. Army SSC officers may be considered for permanent commission in their tenth year, in line with policy.

AFCAT in brief

The AFCAT is the Indian Air Force’s own entry route. The IAF publishes AFCAT advertisements twice a year, in June and December. Its pages give an age of 20 to 24 for the flying branch, with a relaxation up to 26 for holders of a valid DGCA commercial pilot licence, and 20 to 26 for ground duties, both counted at the start of the course. Flying branch officers receive a short service commission of 14 years. Ground duty officers have an initial tenure of 10 years, with a possible extension of four.

Qualified candidates choose an AFSB date and venue on the portal and are tested over several days. Flying branch candidates also take the computerised pilot aptitude test, which is given once in a lifetime. Our guide to 1 AFSB Dehradun covers the board located in our city.

NDA vs CDS: which is easier?

There is no honest single answer, because the two exams test different things at different stages of life.

• The NDA Mathematics paper covers Class 11 and 12 topics such as calculus, matrices, vectors and probability, and it carries 300 marks. The CDS Elementary Mathematics paper is at Matriculation level and carries 100 marks, but the English and General Knowledge papers are at a graduate level.
• NDA candidates are younger and compete with a large pool of Class 12 students for limited vacancies. CDS candidates compete for specific academies.
• The SSB is the same in spirit for both, but the NDA SSB carries 900 marks, which is half of the total, while the CDS SSB carries 300 (or 200 for OTA) against the same marks in the written paper.

Ask a different question instead: which one am I eligible for now, and which one fits my age and qualification? A Class 12 student has the NDA available now. A graduate cannot sit the NDA, so the CDS or AFCAT is the choice.

Salary and promotion: NDA vs CDS

An Army Lieutenant commissioned from the IMA is placed in Level 10 of the pay matrix, with a pay band printed in the CDS notice as ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500. The cadet stipend of ₹56,100 a month also begins at the same level. The starting pay on commissioning is therefore the same whether the officer came through the NDA or the CDS, when both hold a permanent commission.

What differs is the age at which an officer reaches each rank and the type of commission. NDA officers join earlier, so they spend more years in service by the time they reach a given age. An OTA officer holds a Short Service Commission, which the notice describes as 14 years in two parts (10 plus 4), and the notice explains that seniority is adjusted because SSC training is shorter than the permanent course. IMA graduates through the CDS receive permanent commission at the end of training.

How to choose

You are free to prepare for more than one. NDA and CDS share the same general approach, and the SSB prepares you for all of them, so work on it early.

Frequently asked questions

Not sure which exam is yours? GS India Defence Academy runs classroom coaching for all three: NDA coaching in Dehradun, CDS coaching in Dehradun and AFCAT coaching in Dehradun. Call +91 70170 31757 or message us on WhatsApp for a free counselling session.